It’s been the question hockey fans have been asking themselves all season: will New York Islanders forward John Tavares be moved before the NHL’s trade deadline?
New York has been dominating offensively this season, ranking second in the league with 170 goals heading into tonight’s action. Tavares has led the way with 26 goals and 31 assists, but the Isles sit on the outside of the playoff picture despite his success. Tavares is playing through the last year of his current six-year $33 million contract and speculation has grown that the captain may be traded or choose to leave in free agency. But after recent reports, it appears as though the former option is out of the question.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun recently spoke with Isles general manager Garth Snow, who told the reporter "I am not trading John Tavares."
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With Tavares staying in New York (for now), the focus will shift toward what the Islanders plan on doing in the coming months. Doug Weights’ troops sit one point out of a wild-card spot in the East heading into tonight’s games, so could they look to add some pieces for a postseason push? And what will the team do when Tavares becomes a free agent this summer?
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Time will tell how exactly the organization handles the Tavares situation, but for now, he’ll continue to play with the team he’s grown with for nine seasons.
(H/T Pierre LeBrun)
